Antique Shopping with Talbots

38 Comments

1. I’m so glad you found new confidence for antique buying in the book you recommended. I’m getting my library card in my new city this week, and plan to see if they have it, along with the book on women in retail you recommended recently. Your outfit radiated that confidence and positivity, but also looks very comfortable for a day of shopping. Looks like you’ve found a local treasure trove in Blue Willow Estate Sales, with not only unique, high quality furniture pieces, but also lots of smaller decor items. I’m now following them on FB to get some ideas for the new house. I may need to schedule a run to Abilene once I see where the “holes” are in the new house. I’ll bet they have a lot of great finds that would be period-appropriate in a 1928 bungalow. I’m so glad to see that Mr. B is taking an interest and shares your love of unique antique pieces. That table will be a special family heirloom for years to come. It’s fun to know the stories behind the pieces we purchase, and I’ll bet shopping in a smaller town you’ll hear a lot of those, and hopefully share some of them with us.

2. That outfit looks fabulous on you. I am a sucker for navy and white, and this combination speaks casual and classy. How fun to find special items for your home, and a treat for your hubby to be able to join you. I rarely have real plants in our home, I have even bought “faux” for our outdoor planters. I am not a gardener!

3. Oh, you look confident and comfortable in your Talbots outfit! Perfect for a day of shopping. I can’t wait to see what you do with your new antiques. That is such an interesting wall treatment. My house is sprinkled with antiques, but it has a much different vibe-cottage-which works for my location. We indulge in art and plants. Real plants. We have a heated sunporch that loves succulents, which are extremely dramatic as they mature. They are each their own soap opera. I have peace plants, crotons, begonias, philodendron. I would love to find a spot for a monstera and a bird of paradise. They might work in your foyer. In the summer we have 6 window boxes in front and a large deck over loaded with plants in the back, but that is another subject except to say I experiment with overwintering some of the annuals. Many of my plants are in antique pots and pottery from my grams and mom. Double pleasure. Good luck. My husband and I each have our own watering chores. I can’t wait to see what you choose.

4. You are going to have so much fun decorating your new home…and a shopping trip to Abilene would be perfect! I love this outfit…and could easily wear it every day!

5. This blazer is such a fun, unique piece. I am so glad Talbots put it in that latest collection. I don’t know if he sees shopping with me as a treat…but it really helps when he does. Especially since you cannot return items when doing this type of shopping. I need to know when he likes…or doesn’t like…something.

6. Thank you for the plant suggestions, Deborah. I really need help in this area. I love plants and I want more inside and outside.

7. The Talbots outfit looks amazing on you. You look put-together but sytlish and comfortable. These are exactly the types of clothes I want for my current lifestyle. I can’t wait to see how you decorate the entryway. Fun yet a bit daunting when you have a blank canvas like that.

8. Yes! It is a bit daunting! We will see how it goes! Thanks Cathy!

9. I love that Talbots blazer, having eyed the Veronica Beard one (can’t justify that price) and the Quince version as well, as this speaks to every single style adjective. Those stripes on the hoodie really appeal. I was looking at it on line the other day, and the reviews were terrible … poor workmanship and way too large. Did you size down? I love the T by Talbots line and they are some of my most worn items. I was traveling and couldn’t comment on your review of An Affair with a House, but I love that book and have both devoured it and yet savored every page several times over the years. That house, her writing, her choices, are absolutely magical. I love that table you chose. The wall treatment looks very mid century to me – if you plan to work with it (I know this is a rental), can you incorporate some mid century vintage pieces?

10. You look great in your Talbot’s outfit.
    Really looking forward to seeing your decisions about the table and the painting.

11. I am wearing my exact size in the blazer. I think those commenters wanted the Dickey to fit better. Though it is slightly large, it did not bother me and was easy to smooth down when I would get out of the car. This is the best casual blazer that I own!
    Though we are renting, I believe we will be here for years. If I want to do anything major, I run it by my daughter. Otherwise, I am open to any way I can make this house mine.

12. I will share! Thanks Audrey!

13. I swoon looking at your Saltillo Floor. We had Saltillo in a home in Phoenix. 💕 Your white wall is unique. What is the material?

14. It feels like a heavy plastic, Suzi. It is very unique and I am trying to work with it and not against it. The house has a lot of texture which does give it character. The Saltillo tile is throughout the home.

15. I love your outfit, and am intrigued to see how you incorporate the new pieces into your space. I keep fresh herbs potted by my kitchen sink, and have fresh green plants exclusively in my front room which serves as our music and library room. I am looking to add a small lemon tree in there next. Upstairs I do have a faux arrangement in a gorgeous blue and green glazed giant vase, with all cream and white wispy branches and flowers. Beyond those, I typically have fresh flowers in favorite vintage teapots or vases.

16. You have my attention with the lemon tree, Connie. I have never considered putting one inside, but I would love it, if it would do well. Thanks for the new idea.

17. Very, very sharp outfit! Casual and yet so polished. Filing this one away for some experimenting. So nice that Mr. B is involved in the process and that you are both drawn to the same pieces. I’ll be enjoying watching you transform your new home. I love chickens too. In my kitchen I have 3 chicken paintings and 9 chickens in various forms. Also chicken placemats. Oh, and we live down the road from a chicken farm! I used to decorate with live plants and buy myself flowers weekly. Now I have 2 kitties that eat plants so I’ve had to cut that out. I have a few faux. The quality of faux has really improved over the year. Happy Monday. Stay warm!

18. Yesterday, we drove by farm store selling chicken coops…and Mr. B asked if I was going to want to decorate with a chicken coop! I laughed and told him I liked the chickens for decor but had no desire for a coop or to own chickens! Our daughter tried raising a chick when she was in elementary school, and it was so stressful to keep that chicken alive. So I mentally made note…no more live chickens!

19. We have real plants, but only a few and they seem to be hardy ones. We’re having major renos done on the main floor of our home and escaped to Mexico for two weeks while the bulk of the work was done. Before we left, I moved the plants to the basement under a small window where they would get some light and watered them well. When we returned, I was almost afraid to look thinking that they might be wilted and very sad looking. Instead, they had thrived! The Christmas cactus even had new buds on it and is now about to bloom again.

20. You look great and shopping is fun. I, too, need to peruse before involving my husband. He’s not a fan of plants and flowers, but I am, so … I have one faux arrangement in near the front door. The rest are real: the flowers change by season. Often, the flowers are from my yard and gardens. This year I got rid of many older scraggy-looking plants and will go for bigger ones in the summer. BTW, I just love chickens. My daughter has 12 chickens and a rooster, and one of the chickens actually comes when I call her as she knows her name … and that I will have treats for her. They do scrap over the treats, though. Rhode Island’s chicken is the Rhode Island Red and was shipped all over the country years ago. You can look it up if you’re interested.

21. So jealous, Elaine! Mine were find when I returned, but no blooms on the two Christmas cacti…though they get plenty of light. Let us know how you renovation goes.

22. I will do that…thanks for sharing Maeve. Love your chicken story.

23. That is one interesting wall treatment in your entryway! I don’t love it, but it’s not my house. So you do you as they say. Can you hang anything from it? That might help to soften the look a little? We have both living and fake plants throughout our house. I am not really a fan of the fakes, but my husband likes them, and they do solve a problem in a dark area. Pothos and Lilys of the Nile are both very hardy, no fuss plants and grow quickly. They can go from moderate to filtered light. The old dorm room standby-Spider plant can grow large and happy and they also help filter the air. I don’t usually put fake and real plants together in a grouping but that might be interesting to try. We have a large antique brass container that holds dried sprays of this and that or a fake which gets changed seasonally. They can be helpful for the odd corner or space.

24. You may have missed that I don’t love it either…but it is not my house. It is my daughter’s. So I will respect the wall, and do me as best I can around it. But a modern white wall is not me at all. Thanks for the help on the plants, Mary

25. All lovely pieces that you both love. Because you are renting I understand the modern faux tiles on the wall would not be your first choice but may I suggest that you cover them with a fabric application to meet your design aesthetic. Perhaps you and Mr. B can create your ‘style adjectives’ for decor to help you on your searches. Your elevated casual look I think was a perfect choice for antiquing.

26. Thanks Linda. I do not know how often he will go with me, but it helps when he does. I might try to get him to describe what he wants the house to say without him realizing what I am doing!

27. You’ve definitely got a challenge with the wall. I know enough about interior design to be dangerous (LOL) but my thought is that you have multiple styles fighting each other. The exterior of the house looks to me like a mid century modern ranch? The entry is following this style with the wall but adding a southwestern rustic style with the tile and what I’m thinking might be concrete in the dining room and den? You’ve indicated you lean towards French country which is a warm cozy style. Blending styles is a challenge sometimes but can result in a very interesting rich look if done correctly. This takes time and trial and error. Personally I think the wall is what is giving you the most problem with achieving the look you desire. If there is Sheetrock behind the plastic wall covering it may not be a major issue to remove the wall covering. Right now the wall covering is the focal point in the entry and something you will see every time you enter the front door. If you’re not fond of the look yourself, like the monkeys, it may be time to change it. Just my thoughts.

28. Thanks Sonja…the biggest issue is that I do not own the house. The owner would like to keep the wall. I am going to give it a shot to create it into my style. We will see…I am not a professional decorator, but the Bunny Williams book did inspire me.

29. If you decide to buy the house from your daughter, I’m sure that wall treatment will be the first to go. At 80 years of age, I remember those treatments and have never liked them. It will be a challenge for you to work with. The idea of getting a mid century piece to work with it rather than fighting it was a good idea in comments. Faux plants to soften and give color and that you don’t have to worry about poisoning Tux. If you do get live plants, please get a plant directory on poisonous plants to pets. I have a cat and a little dog, so no live plants. Plus I’m a serial plant killer. I love your outfit! It is both casual and stylish and I bet very comfortable too. Navy blue is my neutral and I wear it all the time.

30. So do I, Sydney! Thanks!

31. Hi again! First of all thanks for not taking my suggestions as criticism. After everything you’ve sacrificed in your move you deserve to have a home that speaks to you and reflects your style. Much like our clothes telling others about who we are our home does the same.
    So you can’t remove the wall – but can it be painted? I’m thinking the starkness of the cool white is too much of a contrast against the warm tones of the tile. Could you paint it a warmer cream or tan tone?
    Another idea – because of all the texture going on in the space how would a more simple piece of furniture look? It wouldn’t have to be mid century necessarily but something without a lot of detail. The eye needs a place to rest so to speak.
    When I was decorating our new home I regularly brought things home for a “trial run” so to speak. I know the antique store won’t allow this but some stores will and it really helps when you have a challenge such as this one.
    Hope these ideas help Pam. I’m no professional but someone who just loves the design process and I’m having fun trying to come up with creative ways to use that wall! Hang in there- you will figure this out!

32. lol…that wall fascinates many! I would love to see it become a warmer color, but not sure if that will happen. This all is a work in progress.

33. While I completely understand your lack of enchantment with the white textured wall, as you’ve said many times, you are not the homeowner. Do you know anything about the original owners of this house? That wall looks like it was very unique and “high end” in its heyday, which I am guessing was early 1960’s? In my imagination it belonged to a wealthy young couple who were movers and shakers in the Abilene community. Perhaps they were from “the big city” and wanted to bring some of that vibe with them. I can see that wall in a New York City penthouse apartment owned by a successful designer. Not that you need to justify that wall, I just think it might be fun to know its backstory. My book collection is freshly packed, but there was a book that really helped me I wanted to recommend to you.
    I believe it was The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith, a Christian author. She lived in a lot of rented homes for short periods of time and finally got tired of always waiting for her forever home to start nesting and making those spaces her own. I think she is a pastor or missionary’s wife who had to move frequently, or was living in church-owned parsonage facilities; sorry I don’t remember the details of her situation a decade later. She is very active on Instagram, and has written several other books since that one, but that first one really stuck with me. I’m going to do a deep dive into her Instagram posts when I get past moving, as the topics look very relevant to these conversations we’ve been having. Hope that is helpful!

34. Thank you so much! I am going to check her out today…sounds perfect.

35. Curtain rod, ceiling height in front of white wall. Fabric to tie in with tile.
    Bench or console in front of fabric. No way that white wall will ever work.
    It must be hidden.

36. Respectively, I disagree. I plan to make it work. Or at least give it a good attempt. Covering it is not an option. Thanks for sharing your idea.

37. Dear Pamela,
    I realize that my last comment sounded somewhat harsh.
    Your Daughter did ask you and your husband for family support.
    She purchased a larger home. You agreed to leave your home in
    San Antonio and move into her smaller home. I think you mentioned
    that the real estate market in Abilene was not strong at the present time,
    and that the smaller home would not sell quickly.
    I wonder, does your Daughter plan on living in the smaller home again
    at some point. You and your Husband have made a major sacrifice leaving
    the home you loved. I just feel it is somewhat selfish to expect you and your
    Husband to live with design choices not to your taste. Perhaps it would have
    been better for your Daughter to have rented to a third party and you and your
    Husband may have found another rental more to your liking. Just my thoughts.
    I will enjoy following your journey.

38. Hi Janet, I don’t think it is selfish at all. I completely understand since she is the homeowner. How blessed we are to have a home like this to live in when we made this move. Abilene is now a hot market and they could sell this home which is much LARGER than our old home if she wanted. My son has the same deal with us in our own home. We are a family that loves and supports one another. It is just a wall…and an interesting one. Many people love it. For now, I am going to work with it and who knows what will happen in the future. But, it is a blessing on their part to provide this for us. I am just glad they allowed me to take down the monkeys…those freaked me out a little! Honestly, I would rather be decorating this home than shopping for another. Moving was exhausting. And I do think there is great potential here. My journey will be about taking this blessing and making it our own. I do hope you enjoy the journey with me. One more thing, this house is a perfect location…close to literally everything we need.